Due to their particular characteristics, several types of electrochemical cells are desirable for use in implantable medical devices (IMDs) that require power, such as implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac pacemakers. When a device is replaced due to battery depletion or other issues, the replacement process involves surgery. This surgery can be in a sensitive area, for example, near or in the human heart. Moreover, the life of a user may depend upon proper battery operation. So, improvement to the reliability, performance, and lifetime of electrochemical batteries is highly desirable.
Manufacturing of batteries for medical devices should be robust, repeatable, and result in consistent battery performance. But, most real world manufacturing processes have a yield rate less than 100%—some of the batteries manufactured will include a failure mechanism that renders the battery unsuitable for use. It is desirable to be able to screen batteries for the presence of failure mechanisms in a non-destructive manner.